Garden update

I could use these updates to say something profound, or witty, about the state of affairs in the world, or my feelings in lockdown. But everyone is doing that enough I reckon. Suffice to say for me there is a fairly simple question. Is getting out worth the risk? One problem with that question is that I don't really know what the risk is. I mean firstly what can I do that really has very little risk? Walk down the street - surely almost no risk. The park? The shops? Then if I should catch it, what is the risk of serious harm? Well low, but how low?

But until things become clearer (if?) my feel is that if I don't have to take risks I won't. And just at the moment while I don't like being stuck in the house, I am not going crazy. And there is nothing really to go out for. So rather than mope, or go on about how I am feeling, I shall concentrate on the garden. Because that is all that is happening right now. So be prepared for months of floral photos rather than bands, or exhibitions, or travel. 

So where are we? Well my raised bed for bedding plants is just starting to produce flowers.

So are the borders. At least they look healthy

Petunias going great guns

I have few geums of various sizes which are coming out. Nice bright perennial. 

But what is genuinely stunning is my wisteria. See previous posts. Will only last a few more days, but at the moment the profusion of flowers is just amazing. As is the weather. So I now just set myself up in front of it with something to read, a mug of tea and some biscuits. And sigh that I can't have anyone round to share it with.

 

Social gathering without breaking the rules

So, how to have a social gathering without breaking the lockdown rules? Well, have afternoon tea with your neighbours without leaving your respective back gardens.

First I get myself into position. Then wait...

Then without so much as an open sesame, the fence magically begins to lift...

It gets wider, and the panel then needs propping open at each side.

And voila, Gina and Corey appear through the gap and we chat for the next couple of hours in the sun with our respective refreshments.

We all have to improvise...😊

Wonderful wisteria and a dislocated jaw

Being stuck in the house (and garden) means that one doesn't experience much in the way of "events". But I had one amusing one, although not amusing at the time. 

We have of course been enjoying some unseasonably fine weather, specifically sunny but also rather breezy conditions. Fine for sitting outside, but at risk for us hayfever sufferers. So, inevitably I was out in the garden sneezing vociferously. But while doing so I felt a sudden stabbing pain in my jaw. I had, it seems managed, to dislocate it. Now you would have thought after about a half century of seasonal sneezing I would have got the hang of the technique by now, but evidently not. 

Unsurprisingly I was a little alarmed, but apart from being a bit sore I wasn't too worried, until that is I tried eating dinner. Ouch! Chewing was uncomfortable. I would never have been able to manage canteen beef!

I mentioned this to my friend Elaine, who fell about laughing and I suspect thought I was just imagining it. But she also mentioned it to her husband who is a doctor and apparently such minor dislocations due to sneezing are by no means unheard of. I was assured that generally everything will be fine within a fortnight, and so it has turned out. Several days of mild discomfort followed, but am now right as rain.

The weather has done wonderful things for my wisteria. I read in the paper that it had been a good year generally for wisteria, so its not just that my one has reached the right degree of maturity and lost a climbing rose that had been vigorously competing for light and space. Apparently it is because we had a lot of rain followed by a lot of sunshine. I do love wisteria and it has covered my pergola in a profusion of blooms. 

 

 

It makes it a nice shady place to sit and read when the sun is hot

And the borders are coming along nicely too.

I am further cheered by my fortnightly delivery of cut flowers. This is the bouquet a week after delivery. Makes me smile every time I pass it in the hallway. One needs every bit of smiling one can find at the moment.